I'm sure of the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong!

Chapter 510 The Situation in Nanyang

The old port city was successively occupied by Majapahit, Banten, Palingbang, and the Dutch, which shows how wealthy this place is.

In particular, the Han people have been multiplying and cultivating here for nearly three hundred years. Almost the entire Musi River Delta is fertile land cultivated by Han people (including mixed race).

"History of the Ming Dynasty" records here: "The place is an important gathering place for the Tibetan people. It is in the west of Java and can be reached in eight days and nights with favorable winds. It governs fifteen continents and has fertile soil suitable for crops. There is a saying: Grain is planted in one year and gold is produced in three years. It is said that the harvest is prosperous and the trade gold is abundant."

Such a prosperous port was betrayed by the Sultan of Palembang.

Of course, it wouldn't work without betraying him, because his opinions never mattered. Ming Dynasty just wanted a good name and a colonial buffer with the British.

The Ming Dynasty's canonization ship arrived at the old port city. Shi Zongming quickly led a group of Han people to the port to greet him: "The common people pay homage to the Ming Dynasty's Chinese Angel!"

"We are all Han people, no need to be polite!"

Li Hong kindly helped Shi Zongming up: "His Majesty has decreed that the Old Port Propaganda Department will be reestablished here. Since Mr. Shi is the descendant of Mr. Shi Jinqing, it is natural for him to be the first Old Port Propaganda Department."

When Shi Zongming heard this, he was startled at first, and then he hurriedly and solemnly knelt three times and kowtowed towards the north: "I thank your Majesty for your kindness. Long live your Majesty!"

Shi Zongming was never a commoner in Old Port. His position here should be called Ship Chief, similar to China's Municipal Shipping Department, so he was able to gather a large number of Han residents in the port.

After three hundred years of ups and downs, the several major Han families in Old Port have long since been cleared out of Old Port City. The remaining Han people still in the old port city not only had to submit to the rule of the Dutch and Sumatra natives, but also suffered religious persecution.

Now that he finally got through it, Shi Zongming was extremely excited. This giant port... no, it was the old port city. After more than three hundred years, it had finally returned to the hands of his Shi family.

Li Hong waited for Shi Zongming to thank him, and then said again: "In addition to re-establishing the Old Port Xuanwei Department here, the imperial court will also establish the Old Port Dudu's Palace with the Old Port City as the center. The Dudu's Palace is under the control of the Governor of Coconut City, Java Island. The government is the jurisdiction of Batavia, and the same thing is the soon-to-be-established Malacca Governor's Office. From now on, the Old Port Xuanwei Department will be responsible for managing the Han people in Old Port, and will be directly responsible to the Old Port Governor's Office. The Old Port Governor's Office will govern the entire Old Port City, The Musi River Delta, and the islands of Bangka and Belitung.”

Shi Zongming was not surprised that the Ming court had such an arrangement. After all, now that the Ming Dynasty has regained the old port, how could it be possible to let it go as it should? If it weren't for the fact that there were too many Han people in Old Port, far more than in Coconut City, and the situation was complicated, with a lot of religious beliefs, it would be far more troublesome to rule than in Coconut City.

Shi Zongming cupped his hands and said, "I obey your order."

Li Hong was very satisfied that Shi Zongming didn't ask any questions and directly accepted the order: "In addition to cooperating with the old Hong Kong Governor's Office to organize households and stabilize the people under his rule, Mr. Shi can also further recruit the diaspora from Palinbang and Wantan countries." Han people. Our Old Port Governor's Mansion in the Ming Dynasty will not always be limited to one city and one place in Old Port. Mr. Shi is now gathering the Han people and cultivating foreign lands. In the future, he will definitely use this to gain merit, gain promotions, and benefit his descendants. .”

This can no longer be said to be a hint, it is simply an explicit statement.

Shi Zongming was shocked, and he quickly raised his hands and said, "I will live up to the trust of the court and your majesty."

Nothing major happened after that. Shi Zongming received Li Hong into the old port city and held a banquet as usual.

After staying in the old port for two days and replenishing fresh water supplies, the Ming fleet turned around and headed north to Malacca. The floating officials of the Dudu Mansion in Old Port are called official ships, and they should have just departed from Nanjing.

Malacca is simpler than Old Port. Li Hong directly brought the emperor's imperial edict and some treasures awarded to the Sultan of Johor.

In fact, it is not a valuable thing, just a few pieces of porcelain, cigars, tea and silk, and the weight is not much. Among the emperors of the past dynasties, these were considered pickpockets.

However, the Sultan of Johor was quite happy and impatiently handed over the credentials prepared in advance to Li Hong, the great angel. The content of the letter of credence is very simple. It is a sincere request to return all the sovereignty of Malacca to Ming China.

Li Hong was also very happy. The Sultan of Johor was so wise and it saved him from hinting and deceiving. Many times, justice and force are equally important.

After dealing with Malacca and the Old Port City, there is still one island of Java.

Tang Tongjiang had previously recommended Chen Haifu in a memorial to the court, but he did not recommend Chen Haifu to be the governor. At that time, he did not know that the court was going to implement a governor-general system in Yecheng.

After cabinet deliberations, it was still felt that Chen Haifu could be used, as could Huang Ban, and it would be best to select a highly respected (powerful) person from among the Han people in Yecheng. The relationship with Chen Haifu and Huang Ban should not be too good or too bad.

These three people can be divided and appointed as Tuzhi County to manage the vast land around Yecheng. In order to stabilize their rule, these local magistrates and counties could appoint subordinate officials on their own. As long as they were within the system, the court would recognize them.

However, it is only held once every three years.

After two terms at most, when the Governor of Yecheng is replaced, he should be replaced by a local official dispatched from the center, and then the place will be slowly digested.

The governor of Semarang, Chen Wenjiong, was also recognized and given a golden edict to the governor. The rest was ignored and he was allowed to make a fuss about the Ming Dynasty tiger skin in Java Island. Because the geographical location of Semarang is too important, it is impossible for the Ming Dynasty to do away with it. However, although the Ming Dynasty currently does not have much to eat, it is already somewhat overstretched in Nanyang, so it can only let Semarang become autonomous first.

As long as the Governor of Semarang is still willing to respect the imperial court, even if Semarang is attacked by the native Javanese Sultan who is not afraid of death, the Ming army will probably have to rescue him depending on the situation, and it is also famous for its deployment.

The expansion of the Ming Dynasty in Southeast Asia did not go smoothly. It was really the Dutch and other European colonists who went too far, coupled with the strong force of the Ming army as the backing.

The natives of Nanyang's foreign countries naturally want to eat pots and rice and welcome the king.

However, these were only temporary, because the Dutch had been driven away, and the British colonization was relatively mild. They only wanted money, while the Han colonization in the Ming Dynasty wanted all the land and population.

The problem is not big now, because there are too few Han people in Nanyang, and there is still enough land for cultivation and distribution. After a few decades, or even ten years, something will happen.

The first one to bear the brunt is the Bandan Kingdom, because the capital of Bandan, Bandan City, is too close to Yecheng. As long as the Han people in Yecheng continue to cultivate foreign lands, sooner or later they will expand to the foot of Bandan City.

Although the Banten Kingdom is not a protectorate of the British now, in order to protect itself, it will have to drag the British into the water.

Moreover, the British will have to confront the Ming Dynasty sooner or later, because judging from the map, although the Ming Dynasty's territory in Southeast Asia is very fragmented, it occupies almost all important places, including Malacca, Old Port, Coconut City, and Semarang, all under the direct jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty.

The sultanates on Java Island were also vassal states of the Ming Dynasty. Banten, Palembang, and Johor were either vassals of the same state, or they were oppressed by force and economically controlled.

It can be said that the British have lost to the Ming Dynasty from the starting line. However, the British have insufficient strength in the Far East. Even Bencoolen was established ten years ago and has almost no military strength. Therefore, they temporarily chose to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty.

If given a chance, this European shit-stirring stick will definitely turn into a hungry wolf immediately and devour China cleanly.

(End of this chapter)